88 per cent of pandemic job losses are people under 35

New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows how severely and disproportionately young people have suffered economically during the pandemic

The pandemic has posed a different threat to different generations. 

While older people have been disproportionately affected by the virus when it comes to mortality, younger people have been disproportionately affected by the economic fall out of the pandemic, new figures from the ONS show.

Between February 2020 and February 2021, there has been a decrease in employment by almost 700,000.

But the job losses have not been proportionate – not by a long shot. 

While 50-64 year olds have had a net gain of around 32,000 jobs, there has been a 63.1 per cent decrease in those employed under 25, and at 25.2 per cent decrease in those employed between the ages of 25-34. 

This means that 88.3 per cent of all job losses in the year up to February 2021 were among those under 35. 

There is also stark data on the toll the pandemic is taking on the mental health of young people.

A report by the charity Mind found that half of adults, and over two thirds of young people, say their mental health had declined during the pandemic.